Device for lifting and moving invalids.



R. L. FLOYD.

DEVICE FOR LIFTING AND MOVING INVALIDS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I7. I9I4.

Patented July 23, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

"1.. wunma mu. n. c.

R. L. FLOYD.

DEVICE FOR LIFTING AND MOVING INVALIDS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. ll. m4.

1 ,273,599. Patented July 23, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.the pintle portion of the hinge.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT L. FLOYD, 0F STAUNTON, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE FLOYD INVALID LIFTER COMPANY, OF STAUNTON, VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

DEVICE FOR IJIFTING AND MOVINGINVALIDS.

Application filed November 17, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ronnn'r L. FLOYD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Staunton, in the county of Augusta, State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Lifting and Moving Invalids, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to lifting devices and more particularly to devices for liftingand moving invalids.

The principal object of this invention consists in improvements upon the device disclosed in my Patent #936,107, patented October 5, 1909.

More especially the object of the present invention is to provide an invalid lifting and moving device having a light rigid metallic frame constructed to maintain the operative parts in proper alinement.

A further object of the present im'ention is to provide an invalid lifting device of simple mechanism, capable of being assen'n bled, or disassembled without the use of tools, and com-prising when. assembled a unitary device capable of being bodily located relative to the invalids bed, to easily and safely lift the invalid from the bed.

The wheeled form of my invention is adapted to lift the invalid from the bed and also to facilitate the transferring of the invalid from one place to another, with a minimum amount of exertion on the part of the attendant, and discomfort on the part of the invalid.

Still other and further objects of this invention will in part be obvious and will in part be pointed out in the specification hereinafter following by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are represented by like characters throughout the several views thereof.

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a rigid rectangular frame type showing the end arches thereof hinged to the frame.

Fig. 2 is a perspective detail view of a corner hinge. v

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view through Fig. at is a perspective view illustrating a slight modification of the rigid frame device mounted upon large wheeled casters.

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing one of the lifting and holding gear devices.

Fig. 6 is a detail view illustrating a form Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1918.

Serial No. 872,616.

of construction for the end bearings of the winding or lifting shafts.

Heretofore, the usual practice in lifting or handling practically helpless invalids has been for the attendants to manually lift the invalid, and as it is ditlicult or substantially impossible to lift the entire body of the invalid at one time, the operation of elevating such a person has been attended with discomfort for the invalid and the exertion of considerable strength on the part of the attendant or attendants. The device disclosed in my Patent #930,107, granted October 5, 1909, obviated these ditliculties by performing this work through the aid of machiner Since this mechanism includes rotating shafts and beveled driving gears. it is necessary that the parts be assembled in substantial or approximate alinement. In practice it has been found that often attendants would not succeed in properly aliniug the parts when the clamps were placed upon the bed rails, and these ditliculties are overcome and obviated by the construction disclosed in the present invention.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, a supporting frame C is preferably of rectangular form and may be composed of seamless steel tubes secured by brazing, spot-welding, or other well known methods, to corner brackets 2 and 4;. As shown, the rigid portion C of the main frame is substantially U-shaped- The corner brackets 2 and 4 are recessed as at 5 to form a socket for the attachment of casters, which will be more fully explained hereinafter. The corner brackets may be provided with a hinge 6 composed of a lower leaf 7 integral with the corner brackets, and a corresponding upper leaf 8 integral with the extensions 9. The two leaves preferably are joined together by a shouldered screw bolt 10, which provides a simple and. at the same time, secure, hearing or pintle for the hinge. The hinges are provided with abutting shoulders 11 and 12 which act as stops to prevent the hinges from having a move ment greater than ninety degrees. Upright members 14, preferably comprising seamless steel tubing, are properly secured upon the extensions 9, and carry at their upper ends corner braces 15,'which perform the double function of comprising the corners of the arches A and B and providing an effective bearing for the lifting shafts. More particularly the corner braces 15 are formed with offset portions 16 which are cupped and provided with an open ended slot which re ceives the circular heads 17 carried by the ends of the lifting ,shafts 18. A thumb screw 19 is provided with a cylindrical end 20, whichis adapted to be moved in position over the circular head 17 when the thumb screw is operated, thereby effectively locking the lifting shaft 18 in position by retaining the circular head within the open slot. The corner brackets 41 connected with the arch A are substantially L-shaped when the hinge isopened. These corner brackets 4:, and also the corner braces 15, are provided with openings 21. Stub bolts 22may'be passed through the openin s 21 in thecorner brack ets 4 and threaded into a tubular bar 24: to retain this bar in position between the corne'r brackets 1, as is illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the arch B disclosed at the right end of Figs. 1 and a, and to the detail view in Fig. 5, the operatingmechanism for the lifting shafts 18 comprises a pair of relatively large beveled gears 25 carried by the ends of the lifting shafts, (which terminate in, and are supported by, substantially the same construction as is disclosed in Fig. 6) with which the beveled pinions 26 are constantly engaged. The beveled pinions are secured upon the driving shaft 27 that is mounted in bearings formed in the corner braces 15 in the supporting arch B. The driving shaft also carries ratchet wheels 28, which enable the driving shaft to be held, by means of the ratchet pawls 29, in any predetermined adjusted position. Preferably the driving handle 30 is provided with a through rivet 81 which is adapted to cooperate with the slots 32 formed in each end of the driving shaft 27 thereby enabling the operating handle 30 to be used on either end of the driving shaft, as is convenient or desirable. The driving shaft, as shown, is formedof two sectionsX and Y, each-of which may rotate independently of the other, and by means of the thumb screw clutch 34: the two sections X and Y of the driving shaft may be clamped securely together, so that both sections operate as a single shaft.

As is indicated in Figs 1 and 4., a plu rality of cloth bands 35 are secured upon the lifting shafts 18 in such manner that as these shafts are rotated theclothbands'are wound thereon.

7 Again referring more articularly to Fig. 1, it will be noted that i the thumb screws 19 be operated to occupy the dotted line position in'Fig. 6, the cylindrical end; will be withdrawn from; its bearing in such mannor that the shafts 18 may be removed from position in the supporting bearin s. end arches A and B may then be folded to The dotted line position (Fig. 1) and the device may be stored, in substantially small compass.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, which illustrates my device with wheeled casters, it will be noted that the bar 2 1 has been removed from "between the corner I brackets a and has been repositioned in the upper aortion of the arch A by placing the stub b0 ts 22 through the openings 21 in the upper corner braces 15.

Straight forks 36 havingthe upper ends thereof shouldered to fit the recesses in the corner brackets a are adjusted therein and secured in position by means of shortbolts 37 which are passed through the openings 21 in these brackets and through openings in the ends of the forks. Rubber tired wheels 38 are rotatably mounted within the forks to.constitute wheeled supports forthe arch A. Curved forks 39, which likewise carry rubber tired wheels 38, are rotatably mounted in the recesses in the cornerbrackets 2, and may be retained therein by a common expedient such. as a set screw 40 which enters the circular groove cut in the shank of the fork. (SeeFig. 3.) Fronitheabove explanation it will be seen that my device can easlly be converted from" a non-wheeled into a wheeled device; The effective operation of the device whether wheeled or non? wheeled, is substantially the same, with the exception that the device illustrated in Fig. 1 is'placed directly over: the patient, after the device has been assembled, and is supported by the frame 1 restingupon the support for the patient, which in hospital work comprises a mattress or framework of the hospital cot; while with the wheels thereon as illustrated in Fig. 4:, it is adapted to be wheeled over the patient or hospital cot to such position as will enable the operating mechanism to be manipulated to properly lift the patient therefrom, and'the patient may then be held suspended over the cot, or can be transported to an operating table'or to a different cot, or moved in any manner as may be desired. As to the'effective operation of the device, the cloth bands 35 are passed beneath the patient andthe ends thereof secured to the lifting shafts 18in the manner illustrated in my #936,107, or in my companion application Serial No. 873,493. If'it is desired to lift the patient directly vertical, the thumb screw clutch 34; is tightened and the oper- Patent 7 ating handle. 30 is turned in the direction of the arrows. It will benoted that the arrangement of the gearing is such that the lifting shafts 18- will be turned in opposite directions away from the center of the device, as is illustrated by the arrows, and the cloth bands 35 will be wound equally upon each of the supporting shafts 18. If it is desired that the patient be turned or rolled,

the pawls 29 at each end of the driving shaft are released to engage the ratchets 28 and the thumb screw clutch 34 is loosened. The operating handle 80 is placed on the driving shaft adjacent the Winding shaft 18 which is desired to be operated, and the handle accordingly turned. This operation Will wind the bands 35 upon one of the shafts 18, while the other shaft remains stationary, and consequently will roll the patient in such manner as to turn the patient over in the manner desired.

The device either with or without wheels, it will be noted, is so constructed as to be placed'over the patient each time it is desired to use the mechanism, or after having been once placed in position, it may be left there until use is not required, for the reason that by removing the lifting shafts 1S, merely the end arches A and B extend above the cot and these end arches do not in any manner interfere with the movements of the patient or with the persons administering to the patient.

The present invention relates more particularly to the general construction of my device wherein Isecure a rigid frame adapted either to be used with or without wheeled casters. While it is illustrated as being foldable, it is not in a strict sense a so called knockdown device such as is illustrated in my Patent #936,107, granted October 5, 1909, or as is illustrated in my companion application. My improved 0 erat- .ing gearing mechanism is more speci cally shown and claimed in my said companion application.

Having thus described my invention what I desire to claim is In a device of the character described in combination, a horizontal frame, supporting devices carried by said horizontal frame, lifting mechanism upon said supporting means, and means to support said horizontal frame at the proper height to enable said frame to be pushed around a bed, said means comprising detachable castered supports which when removed leave said frame adapted for use directly on a suitable inattress.

ROBERT L. FLOYD. Witnesses STELLA MCGUINNITY, JOHN D. WHITE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

